Ntaria School Holidays Bike Program

Ntaria (Hermannsburg) School Holiday Bike Program

From 13–16 January, the Bikes Mwerre team spent four days in Ntaria (Hermannsburg) running a school holiday bike program for local kids. Located around 120 km west of Alice Springs, the community provided a great setting for hands-on bike work during the day and plenty of riding once the temperature dropped.

Across the four days, around 35 young people took part in the program. Afternoons were spent working together to fix bikes — repairing flat tyres, adjusting brakes and seats, and bringing worn bikes back into good riding condition so they could stay in the community. As the heat eased, evenings shifted to riding: making tracks, building small jumps, heading out on group rides and even fitting in a quick trip down to the river for a swim. At times, more than 35 kids were riding around town together.

Fixing bikes alongside the kids is a core part of the program. The 20 bikes delivered by the Bikes Mwerre team arrived mostly assembled, with the final work completed together with participants. This hands-on approach gives kids real ownership of their bikes and a strong sense of pride in riding something they helped bring back to life. An additional 13 bikes from the community were also repaired and returned to working order over the week.

The Hermannsburg program forms part of Bikes Mwerre’s Sport for Development work, delivered in partnership with the MacDonnell Ranges Council school holiday program. Providing structured, positive activities during school holidays gives young people a chance to stay active, build confidence, develop social skills and spend time together in a safe and supportive way.

Bikes Mwerre would like to thank partners Revolve ReCycling and Outback Cycling for their ongoing support in sourcing bikes and helping keep kids riding.

If you’re interested in running a Bikes Mwerre school holiday bike program in your community, get in touch.